HBO’s “Temple Grandin” Wins Seven Emmy Awards

Congratulations to everyone who was involved in the creation and production of HBO’s “Temple Grandin,” which won seven Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Made for TV Movie and Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. Special recognition goes to executive producers Emily Gerson Saines, Gil Bellows, and Anthony Edwards, who are supporters of Autism Speaks.

Check out the acceptance speech here and watch Temple Grandin on the red carpet here.

MY Son , David is autistic and deaf: a double whammy.
He is in his 30’s –so diagnosis back in the barren 70’s when little was known about autism, let alone the combination of deafness and autism was uncharted terratory.
David is doing very well: he is a high school graduate( albeit that of the Special Education Unit of the Lexington School for the Deaf.)
He is now in a Group Home and day Habilation Program with an exceptional agency.
He still has cycles and regressions : David will go through periods when he is overwhelmed by compusions.
As with everything both good and bad – the compulsions pass and he is back to his sweet self.
David volunteers for ”Meals On wheels” and his program spends part of every day in the community.
The agency purchased a cafe where everyone ( autistic and non socialize.) The agency also purchased the local JCC in the area and turned it into the ICC for all things recreational : swimming–movies, dancing, martial arts etc.
David is adept at sign language and also uses a computer: he is non-verbel.
I look to the future with both faith and belief in researsch: I believe that is where the answers will come from: Maybe not a cure ( though that would be an answered prayer) if it could move David up a notch I would not complain.
David’s autism is caused by chromosome damage : chromosames 7 and 14.
There has been progress with fragils x-so we are hopeful.
We are involved in researsch with the Sever Center Autism Project at Mt Sinai Hospital in New York.
Sometimes I feel that our journey has just begun and at other times I feel I have been doing this forever–it depends on the day!
It is a combination of acceptence and –NEVER GIVING UP!
David’s agency travels on cruises once a year and for the last number of years we tag along.
W are getting ready to leave on a cruise with David on September 4th to Fla and the Bahamas.
I must say that not only is David home most weekends( even though he hardly sleeps)
Some of my most fun times have been doing things with David.
Nothing has ever stopped us– even in the most difficult of times and we seem to like the same things.
I are most pleased with David’s agency as they continue to offer him the quality of life that we established so long ago.

Hi Sandy, Thank you for the post. I love to hear how autistic adults are being integrated into the community. My son Aaron just turned 18 and it is a scary transition. I live in the LA area, and am trying to find meaningful activities for him. It’s such a bumpy road…ups and downs. All the best to you and David.
Helen

cynthia smith

September 11, 2010 at 8:09 pm

Helen, I too have a 19 year old son; James, with aspergers, this transition is harder than middle school for me. He is now an adult in most ways including by law. I am so scared to let him go out and do any thing. How do we protect them and yet see how they can stretch their wings? I am new here and need to become more involved. I just don’t know how to start.

Seven Emmy’s for Temple Grandin and one for Jim Parsons (who anyone with a family with autism knows what that means), means, we are listening. A night of happy tears for a mother The more true awareness, the more acceptance and tolerance, the less ridicule and the less sadness. Thank you Autism Speaks and all who speak for our loved ones.

Lisa, I love that you mentioned happy tears! I too had happy tears at the end of the movie. My son is fascinated by happy tears, and had to ask why I had them. I explained what a proud moment that was for Temple’s mother. They did an amazing job with the movie, they deserve every one of their seven awards!

I watched it last night. I cried and laughed through the whole thing. A whole lot of emotions were surrounding me. I could really identify with the characters and even the ranch setting. Great movie. It gave me a lot to think about, as I am currently trying to choose my son’s best path for education. It also showed me that it’s okay to let him be himself and embrace the little quirks that may set him aside from others and allow him to be more comfortable in certain situations. We spend the first half of our lives trying to fit in. Then, suddenly, we try to stand out and be different. My son is different and he shines. It will get easier :)

My heart just filled with joy that Temple Grandin is now, not only known by people in the Autistic Spectrum or meat packing communities, but all over the world! Her work is an inspiration to all of us, and I know when I watch the HBO film, I completely understood the role of Temple’s mother in the film.
When, at the end, Temple thanks her mother for helping her to succeed, I burst into tears. My eighteen year old daughter, who was only recently diagnosed with AS, is now a freshman at a prestigious university, and IS succeeding and happy!
What an inspiration to us all, Temple! Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you to HBO Films for sharing her story to the world! Maybe now there will be a better understanding about the scope and needs of individuals on the Autistic Spectrum!

Great MOVIE!!!!
Temple, Thank You. Thank you HBO.
I am a 62 year old grandmother who has a 9 year old grand daughter liveing with me .
She has Autism. Her Mom and Dad are not around.
We have good days and hard days.
I don’t know anyone around our hometown that uderstands
Autism and I don’t know any doctors.
I do research on line.
She was diagnosed when she was 4,after getting hit by a car,and
had to be taken to hospital.
She is getting her education in a day school several miles from our home,and I don’t drive how ever I stay in touch with the teacher over the phone.
“TEMPLE GRANDIN” and the movie are truely and inspration.

I am a proud Grandmother of a beautiful 14 yr. old girl, Mackenzie, who is the light of our hearts. She has Asperger’s and is extremely good with animals! When watching this wonderful portrayel of Temple Grindin, and even though my Grandaughter has milder symtoms, I was reminded of what wonderful people we have amongst us. They are so bright and caring people and yes, they are different, but not less.

What a great movie. Temple is such an inspiration to all of us touched by autism. Hopefully this movie will help the general public understand what families with someone on the spectrum have to deal with daily. Maybe many will be more compasionate when our paths cross in restaurants, stores, etc. I think it would be nice if as many people as possible gave a brief thanks to Temple here and Autism Speaks forwards them to Temple. Same goes for HBO so they continue to have the guts to take on projects like this one. Thank you Temple, you are such a special lady.

I viewed this movie very recently and was quite pleased with it (I also liked the movie ADAM, which seems to get less press, since the story is fictional; but well written).

And although Ms. Grandin is quite an inspiration, one of the things that seems hard to portrey in a single film, is that this is a “spectrum”, not everyone will act, be, think the same (which is true of NT’s also, but they tend to cling to simularities and create cliques). My own ability to relate occurs when she was “making” things (gate, the squeezer, the cattle shoots, etc). But I am more scatter brained (one psychologist used a nicer term: called me a “scanner”, or one that doesn’t concentrate one any one thing, but wants to know it all).
I do hope we can have more shows/movies that portrey actual people on many different points on the spectrum from so called High functional to unable to communicate.

I AM A GRANDMOTHER OF A 7YR. OLD BOY WITH THE SPECTRUM AND WOULD LOVE TO KNOW OF ALL MOVIES AND UPDATES TO KNOW ALL I CAN. HE LIVED WITH ME FROM BIRTH TO 2YRS. OLD WITH HIS PARENTS BUT AS WE HEAT ALOT HE WAS DEVELOPING FINE TILL HE WAS 15 MONTHS AND THEN JUST STOP DOING ALL THE THINGS HE LEARNED. HE WAS TAKEN RIGHT AWAY TO SPECIALIST AND ON THE SPOT DIAGNOISED. IN THE PAST YR. HE HAS COME A LONG WAY WITH TALKING TWO TO THREE LINE SENTENCES. GOD TOLD ME IN A DREAM I HAD HE WOULD SPEAK. I AM SO PROUD OF HIM PLUS HE IS GAMMAWS BUDDY. TYLERS HAS 2 BROTHER YOUNGER.JOEY WAS BORN NEXT AND HAD A SPEACH DISABILITY BUT IS ALSO TALKING WITH THE HELP OF SPECIAL CLASSES. BRAD IS GREAT AND HAS NO PROBLEMS. THANKYOU FOR SHARING ALL YOUR STORIES. BARB